BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN : Minority Hiring Is Still on Holiday

Arizona’s rejection of a holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., set off a firestorm of reaction, but to what meaningful purpose beyond rhetoric and symbolism?

In the matter that matters most, the NFL has a pathetic record of minority hiring at the decision-making level, and baseball is only slightly better.

Commissioner Fay Vincent will address that subject when he makes a state-of-the-game speech at baseball’s winter meetings in Chicago in two weeks.

Vincent will cite numbers that seem to illustrate significant minority hiring in the 3 1/2 years since Al Campanis, then executive vice president of the Dodgers, made his renowned appearance on “Nightline” and said “blacks lack the necessities” to manage in the majors.

Campanis was fired, and baseball reacted by announcing a commitment to affirmative action that included the hiring of Bill White as National League president, but the ensuing hirings, that buildup in numbers, has been primarily in lower-level staff, secretarial and instructional positions.

Consider:

--In the last 3 1/2 years, there have been 23 general managerial changes in the major leagues and not one has been filled with a minority.

--There have been 32 managerial changes in that time and only three have been filled with a minority. Cookie Rojas was hired and fired as manager of the Angels, and Frank Robinson and Cito Gaston are currently managing the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively.

The accompanying charts document the cycle and recycle. What they do not show is that baseball also has failed to put a minority in what can be considered a steppingstone position, except for Bob Watson, the Houston Astros’ assistant general manager, and Elaine C. Weddington, an attorney who primarily handles contract issues as assistant general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

On the managerial side, Don Baylor seems certain to be the next minority hire, but that stems from a widespread esteem for Baylor rather than his role as the Milwaukee Brewers’ batting coach serving as a steppingstone.

In those 3 1/2 years since Campanis, most every club has added at least one black or Hispanic coach at the major league level, but there seems to be no inclination to accelerate a process that would elevate them to the managerial ranks.

Speaking by phone Monday, Vincent acknowledged that most of the minority hiring has been in the business and management area, that the record on the baseball side “hasn’t been terrific.”

“When I look across the board, I’m pleased that we’ve made some progress in a global sense but not terribly excited and certainly not satisfied in a baseball sense,” he said. “We’ve put in some programs, but there’s plenty of work to be done.”

A King holiday is an issue with many sides, but Vincent would probably agree that baseball has already taken too many holidays when it comes to meaningful minority hiring.

The Angels made a meaningful hire the other day, appointing Darrell Miller as director of community relations, a move that goes beyond issues of minority and quota.

This is a position that the Angels--battered by fans enraged at a ticket increase in the wake of a woeful season--sorely needed, and the personable, perceptive Miller, brother of basketball players Reggie and Cheryl Miller, seems well suited for it, having opted to end his playing career to accept it.

A catcher-outfielder who began his career with the Angels after attending Cal Poly Pomona, Miller, 31, spent the 1990 season in the Baltimore and Seattle systems and had an offer to play in Japan in 1991, but he said:

“I see guys playing in the senior league who have nothing else going for them, and I didn’t want to end up that way. I might have played for a few more years, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. I’m really excited.”

Joe McIlvaine, who gave up a vice presidency with the New York Mets to replace Jack McKeon as general manager of the San Diego Padres, had this to say about the Dodgers’ signing of former Met Darryl Strawberry:

“What it’s done is make the National League West the strongest division in baseball, but I’m not going to sit here and say the Dodgers will win it because Toronto and the Mets look good every year on paper and look what happens.”

McIlvaine and the Padres seemed to pull off a major coup the other day when they quietly took advantage of a major gaffe by the Atlanta Braves to claim one of baseball’s top third base prospects, Tom Redington.

Redington, a graduate of Esperanza High in Anaheim, was the Braves’ third-round selection in the June draft of 1987 and seemed to be their third base heir by 1992. But to free space on their 40-man roster, the Braves took a risk by attempting to move Redington to their triple-A roster, a move that required waivers.

The Padres, who may shift Bip Roberts to third base, spoiled the attempt to sneak Redington through, getting him for the $20,000 waiver fee, a meager return for Atlanta on the reported six-figure signing bonus Redington received three years ago.

The continuing inability of the major leagues to forge a new labor agreement with the minor leagues is likely to be a mere prelude to a heated battle with the umpires union, those talks having just started.

Some owners, angry over what they perceive to be an increasingly confrontational and aggressive behavior by some umpires, favor firing all the umpires, saying former President Regan set a precedent with his firing of the air-traffic controllers.

Short of that, it is expected that the two leagues will attempt to reacquire control from the union, reestablishing a stricter system of accountability.

The umpires, of course, will be looking to enhance their recent gains in salary and pension and to place a fifth umpire on every crew, allowing for a rotating day off every fifth day.

Said veteran National League umpire Bruce Froemming from his Milwaukee home: “The San Francisco Giants just signed a borderline pitcher (Bud Black) for $10 million. I mean, here’s a .500 pitcher lifetime (83-82) with an ERA around four and he gets $10 million.

“Obviously, there’s enough money around. We (the umpires) shouldn’t have a problem.”

The $10,000 fine and five-day suspension (which translates to a $77,000 loss of pay) levied by American League president Bobby Brown on Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens for his actions and ejection in Game 4 of the playoffs will be appealed by Clemens, but it was hailed by Froemming and the umpires as a major development.

Until now, they contend, the fines have not kept pace with the escalation of player salaries and have not served as a deterrent to players abusing umpires or going after pitchers on the mound, factors contributing to the recurring confrontations between umpires and players.

“What does $100 or $200 mean to a player now?” Froemming said. “I warned a couple players in Cincinnati last year and they both said, ‘ . . . the fines, we’ve got a lot of money.’ The fines have been a definite problem, but maybe this is an indication that it’s going to be different.”

The Major League Players Assn. is likely to be heard during the negotiations with the umpires union. Executive director Don Fehr said the players definitely believe that the umpires have become too contentious.

“A lot of issues have to be touched on,” Fehr said. “Umpires clearly, without question, are too emotionally involved in the game. Something has to be done. Umpires are not automatically right, even if they’re wearing the blue uniform.”

Among those critical of the Giants’ deal with Black, along with the Philadelphia Phillies’ signing of catcher Darren Daulton for three years at $6.7 million, was Pittsburgh Pirate president Carl Barger, who labeled it a grievous inflation of the market and said he could have cried when the Giants signed Black for $10 million.

Barger’s own attempts to control costs may cost the Pirates in their bid to repeat as NL East champion That process may have already started, with the valuable R.J. Reynolds opting for a multiyear, multimillion dollar deal with Japan’s Taiyo Whales.

Agent Dennis Gilbert refused to reveal the terms but said the Pirates never made an offer beyond their two-year, $1.5-million proposal in early August.

Said Barger: “I don’t blame R.J. for leaving. He got a lot more than we offered, a lot more than just about anyone would have offered for a fourth outfielder who had no homers and 19 RBIs last year.”

Reynolds was merely the first of several Pittsburgh free agents to reach an agreement. Among the others still unsigned: pitcher Zane Smith, first baseman Sid Bream, infielder Wally Backman, catcher Don Slaught and outfielder-first baseman Gary Redus.

And a year from now, Bobby Bonilla will be eligible for free agency, followed a year later by Barry Bonds, both still bitter over their arbitration defeats of last winter.

Now Barger may face an even stormier winter, the discontent being his own and that of his players.

MANAGERIAL CHANGES

Since April, 1987

* Atlanta Braves--From Chuck Tanner to Russ Nixon to Bobby Cox.

* Baltimore Orioles--From Cal Ripken Sr. to Frank Robinson.

* Boston Red Sox--From John McNamara to Joe Morgan.

* Angels--From Gene Mauch to Cookie Rojas to Moose Stubing to Doug Rader.

* Chicago Cubs--From Gene Michael to Frank Lucchesi to Don Zimmer.

* Chicago White Sox--From Jim Fregosi to Jeff Torborg.

* Cincinnati Reds--From Pete Rose to Tommy Helms to Lou Piniella.

* Cleveland Indians--From Pat Corrales to Doc Edwards to John Hart to John McNamara.

* Houston Astros--From Hal Lanier to Art Howe.

* Kansas City Royals--From Billy Gardner to John Wathan.

* New York Mets--From Davey Johnson to Bud Harrelson.

* New York Yankees--From Lou Piniella to Billy Martin to Piniella to Dallas Green to Bucky Dent to Stump Merrill.

* Philadelphia Phillies--From John Felske to Lee Elia to John Vukovich to Nick Leyva.

* San Diego Padres--From Larry Bowa to Jack McKeon to Greg Riddoch.

* Seattle Mariners--From Dick Williams to Jim Snyder to Jim Lefebvre.

* St. Louis Cardinals--Whitey Herzog to Joe Torre.

* Toronto Blue Jays--From Jimy Williams to Cito Gaston.

GENERAL MANAGERIAL CHANGES

Since April, 1987

* Atlanta Braves--From Bobby Cox to John Schuerholz.

* Baltimore Orioles--From Hank Peters to Roland Hemond.

* Chicago Cubs--From Dallas Green to Jim Frey.

* Chicago White Sox--From Larry Himes to Ron Schueler.

* Cincinnati Reds--From Bill Bergesch to Murray Cook to Bob Quinn.

* Cleveland Indians--From Phil Seghi to Joe Klein to Hank Peters.

* Houston Astros--From Dick Wagner to Bill Woods.

* Kansas City Royals--From John Schuerholz to Herk Robinson.

* Los Angeles Dodgers--From Al Campanis to Fred Claire.

* Montreal Expos--From Murray Cook to Bill Stoneman to Dave Dombrowski.

* New York Yankees--From Woody Woodward to Lou Piniella to Bob Quinn to Syd Thrift to George Bradley and Pete Pederson to Gene Michael.

* Philadelphia Phillies--From Bill Giles to Woody Woodward to Lee Thomas.

* Pittsburgh Pirates--From Syd Thrift to Larry Doughty.

* San Diego Padres--From Jack McKeon to Joe McIlvaine.

* Seattle Mariners--From Dick Balderson to Woody Woodward.